Finance Director - Operations & Control

About Low Carbon

Low Carbon creates large-scale renewable energy to fight climate change. We’re building a renewable energy company that will protect the planet for future generations.

This defining purpose drives us to deliver for our communities, investors, and the environment.

We are a long-standing certified B-Corporation and recognised as gold standard for our environmental impact. We develop, build, and operate utility-scale solar, onshore wind, and battery storage projects across the UK and Europe, supporting the world’s move to an energy system powered by renewables.

CVC DIF, the infrastructure strategy of leading global private markets manager CVC, is the majority shareholder in Low Carbon. Working alongside MassMutual, CVC DIF will enable Low Carbon to significantly expand its installed capacity and drive the next stage of growth as a diversified, leading next-generation IPP.

Role Description

The Director, Finance Operations & Control is a core member of our Finance Senior Leadership Team (FSLT), integral to achieving Low Carbon’s financial and strategic objectives. This senior role will work closely with the Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to shape and lead financial operations, reporting, controls, tax and the accounting and tax structuring of investments, transactions and financing across the Low Carbon group. The role will work closely with the wider Finance department, the CFO, as well as business functions, including Investment and Development, Legal, Treasury & Financing, and Asset Management.

The Director, Finance Operations & Control will be a key part in creating a world-class finance organisation. The role has accountability for the controller office, covering all activities across the group including accounting processes, record to report, transactional finance activities, financial and internal controls, management of the audit, finance systems, statutory and management reporting, support of the Group’s tax affairs, and the structuring of investments. It also owns the Finance service model that supports new markets and new legal entities as the Group grows.

The ideal candidate will bring gravitas and a strong executive presence, demonstrating leadership, and influencing abilities, and superior business partnering. The ability to inspire and influence decisions at the highest levels will be essential.

The role carries both a run and a change agenda: it must keep the core Finance engine predictable and audit-ready while industrialising it for scale, so that the business experiences one Finance function rather than a collection of sub-teams.

Scope and Scale

• Responsibility for more than 200 legal entities across multiple jurisdictions and accounting standards
• Leadership of circa 25 colleagues across Transactional Finance, Controllership and Group Accounting & Reporting
• Oversight of external accounting, payroll and compliance providers
• Accountability for efficient operations, strong controls and scalable finance platforms

Key Responsibilities

Finance Leadership

• Lead and develop a high-performing team, with clear accountability, priorities and succession plans
• Create a consistent “One Finance” service model, with common standards, language and ways of working
• Balance operational delivery with a clear transformation agenda, improving quality, customer service and scalability

Accounting, Reporting and Controls

• Own the Group’s accounting policies, technical positions and financial control framework
• Deliver accurate, timely management and statutory reporting, consolidations and regulatory filings
• Drive a faster, more predictable close through standardisation and automation
• Provide clear reporting and early warning of issues to the Board, shareholders, lenders and investors

Finance Operations and Service Delivery

• Own core transactional processes, including purchase-to-pay, order-to-cash, billing, receivables, reconciliations, expenses and payroll accounting
• Establish clear service levels, performance measures and routes into Finance
• Deliver measurable improvements in cycle time, accuracy, cost and supplier experience

Transaction Structuring

• Lead the accounting aspects of investments, acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, financings and reorganisations
• Ensure new entities and structures are operationally ready, compliant and proportionate from day one
• Provide clear advice on the accounting, control and reporting implications of proposed transactions
• Work with the Head of Tax where specialist tax input is required

Audit, Risk and Controls

• Lead the Group audit strategy, timetable and auditor relationship, ensuring consistent readiness and timely resolution of findings
• Strengthen financial controls, fraud prevention, payment security and risk management
• Work with Group Risk and Internal Audit to track actions through to closure and prevent repeat findings

Transformation, Systems and Stakeholders

• Lead finance transformation, process standardisation and the effective use of ERP, data, automation and AI
• Build a scalable operating model that can absorb growth in projects, entities and jurisdictions without proportional headcount growth
• Partner effectively with senior stakeholders across Finance, Investment, Development, Legal, Treasury, Asset Management and IT
• Support M&A integration and establish robust finance operations in new markets

Skills & Experience

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) with strong technical accounting expertise
• Senior finance leadership experience in a complex, multi-entity and multi-jurisdiction organisation
• Experience in a PE-backed, infrastructure or capital-intensive business
• Strong track record across controllership, financial controls, statutory reporting, audit and finance transformation
• Good knowledge of IFRS and local GAAP, ideally including SPV or fund-style structures
• Sufficient tax knowledge to identify issues and work effectively with the Head of Tax
• Strong ERP, data and automation literacy, with practical experience of improving finance processes
• Confident and influential with C-suite, Board and investor audiences, with the ability to present complex financial matters clearly and credibly

Personal Attributes

• Calm, credible and decisive under pressure
• Commercial and service-minded, while maintaining strong control discipline
• Comfortable with pace, ambiguity and change in a growing business
• People orientated, confident leader

Our Compensation & Benefits

• 26 days holiday plus your birthday off (with option to buy a further 5 days)
• Discretionary Bonus
• Bupa Health Check & Private Healthcare for you and your family (medical history disregarded)
• Contributory Pension
• Cycle scheme
• Season Ticket Loan
• Pluxee for commercial discounts and perks
• 3 additional days for volunteering to support causes of your choice

We are committed to building an inclusive team and welcome applications from people with different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences. If you do not meet every requirement listed but believe you can succeed in the role, we encourage you to apply. We are happy to discuss reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK, as we are not able to provide visa sponsorship for this position.